Identified
by tigerowl
Summary: To some the world of Pokemon is to be both condemned and worshipped. Trainers revel in the ignorant control of the norm, unaware of nature's original intentions. The truth has been sought but never identified. The line between friends and slaves. DP


**A/N: I found this in a notebook I kept for my writing class. It's too beloved to keep shut up in silence. If it happens to matter, the setting is Diamond/Pearl.**

One: Take it Black

"Aw, that's cute Volk, very cute!" Indigo fawned over her friend after rushing into the café and spotting him. Volkner looked less than pleased with her, his expression sour, and he sat at a small booth with his Luxray crammed in the space beside him. A cup of tea had been set in front of it, but neither pokemon or trainer had taken interest in their beverages.

"It was not my intention to convey cuteness, right now. You're late." Volkner said shortly. "Sit down or you'll make me look rude." Indigo sat as instructed in the place across from him. The Luxray's head dipped as it took a discrete lap of tea from the saucer.

"Here you go." Indigo pushed an object wrapped in cloth across the table to him, "I got this yesterday so I figured I'd give it to you!"

Volkner unveiled the gift to be a small turquoise rock. He considered the glimmering object for a moment before looking back to the other trainer, "This is what you called me for? A Dawn Stone. Is this a bribe?"

"No, not at all." She assured him, "I hardly know what it's good for besides taking up space and evolving certain pokemon, so I thought you'd cherish it for it's aesthetic value, Volk." He pocketed it and gave her a critical look. Indigo then continued, "And no...I called you because I was up last night with a thought."

"That's new."

She took the insult in stride, "You're too kind. Give me a second, won't you?" Indigo ushered over a waitress and ordered cheesecake, and after Volkner had declined her offer to get him some as well, the waitress left and the conversation resumed, "I know I haven't really seen you since our last Gym battle..."

He frowned.

"Oh." She said softly, "You're still mad about that?"

"No. Get on with it." He prompted, not wanting to reflect on his loss.

She nodded, "Right. Well, you're one of the few people who I truly believe to be open minded enough to understand this, and your best friend is one of the Elite Four, so I thought about calling you before anyone else."

"I'm touched."

"Last week I was out on Route 224 with my Hitmonlee when he got his ass handed to him by a wild pokemon." Indigo recalled, "Later I thought, _no Xatu is worth this, _but at the time fighting that shameless, precognitive bird was all I could think about."

"Did you catch it–?"

"No, now shh!" She prevented him from interrupting, "That night I was patching Hitmonlee up, and for some reason I felt like the scum of the earth for putting him in that situation. He didn't mind so much, but I just couldn't get over it."

Faint understanding shown in Volkner's eyes.

"A few days passed and I only let him into fights where he had the elemental advantage because I felt so terrible." Indigo said, accepting the cheesecake that the waitress set in front of her, "I was overreacting, I mean, for crying out loud– I wouldn't even let him near a Starly! It wasn't until last night I understood what was really bothering me."

Indigo glanced over to Volkner's Luxray, "Looks like he's finished his tea. Do you think you could put him away for a bit?"

Volkner raised an eyebrow, "Is this story going to become inappropriate somehow?"

"Probably."

He sighed, and with a muttered "Return," his Luxray was confined back to its pokeball. Volkner returned his attention to Indigo as she was taking a bite of her cake.

"I thought about what was actually happening– fundamentally. I intentionally, thoughtlessly, put Hitmonlee into a battle that he was statistically designed to lose. I know that happens a lot, but..." Her voice quieted, "Is that humane? Is any of it?"

"_Any of it?" _Volkner repeated, "What do you mean?"

"Pokemon are creatures of feeling, culture, and intelligence. You and I know that better than anyone, most likely. So when was it decided that it was alright for our society to dominate their's?" Indigo asked, her expression gloomy.

"_Dominate _may not be the right word choice." Volkner advised.

"I think it's suitable, just think about it, Volk. We capture them, remove them from their homes, and have them fight each other incessantly, and only to heal them to keep the cycle going." She narrated darkly, "Take your Octillery, for example. When you order it to attack someone else's pokemon what's its incentive? The hope of victory? I don't think that it purposefully wants to hurt another pokemon."

"She listens to me because we're friends." He knew it was a weak argument, so he added, "I depend on her just as much as she depends on me. Just because I issue a command does not mean that she's my slave, Indigo."

"Okay, good point." She smiled in relief, "Then there's the broad scale...what dictates the legality of catching, owning, and trading another race to keep them in a blood sport?"

"The regional governments control those guidelines." Volkner answered, self-assured (as a Gym Leader he knew a thing or two,) "The Pokemon League does as well, I imagine. And please don't call it a blood sport. You might upset nearby coordinators who have certain opinions."

Indigo sighed, "Fine...it's just I tried asking my pokemon why they do what they do, but the explanation was so unclear. If it were me, Volk, I wouldn't want a so-called higher society enslaving me and telling me to fight myself to unconsciousness."

"Not all of them _want _to be affiliated with humans, remember?" Volkner countered, "Those are the ones that avoid us. Those that we do come in contact with see potential in us. The chance for exploration, education, and furthered opportunities is what they ask of us. There's give and take. If they really had a problem with the way things are don't you think they would've turned on us already?"

"Who knows?" She crammed a large piece of cake in her mouth. She swallowed, adding, "Maybe they feel intimidated by our technology. We have harnessed the planet's resources after all!"

"_Sure." _He agreed sardonically, "They're _so _helpless. A Mamoswine would really fear an armored tank. Have you ever considered that they are simply too peaceable to want conflict like that? Pokemon wars are too few and far-between in history."

"But they _have _happened." She reminded him.

"Rarely, and for reasons other than ownership protest, I'm sure." Volkner dismissed the idea.

Indigo fell silent, going back to her cake. Volkner watched her face for a long moment, wondering if perhaps she had given up. "After all that profound theorizing, Indigo, I had thought that you might have a conclusion to offer." He goaded gently.

"Guess not..." She admitted, "I won't preach. The world is how it is– but why? I thought there was potential in that argument, but I really don't have a clue..."

Volkner reach across the table and stole a small morsel of the cheesecake with his fork. There was a peaceful quiet between them for a few more moments.

He looked over to her again, "The idea was...actually worthwhile. I mean that. I'd help you roam and search for answers, but you know I'm busy tending to the Gym."

"Yeah, I understand." Indigo responded, "But it's the thought that counts, Volk."

Volkner appeared inquiring, "I wonder...how busy are you? Being the Pokemon Champion takes up responsibilities too."

"Huh? No way!" She laughed, "Cynthia challenged me, er, about a month ago? She won, Volk. I got the boot!"

"You let her win."

"No, seriously, her Garchomp's toughened up. Besides, I like my new freedom!" Indigo grinned childishly, "Now I can go on fancy cruises and stuff like that."

"Of course." He did not believe a word of it.

Her expression sobered, "Though since I'm not busy I guess it'd be good to look into it, right? I'll hit up the library in Canalave, and maybe go chat with Rowan. I can build from there."

"Best of luck to you." Volkner supplied a kind word.

Indigo had finished the cheesecake, and regarded the empty plate thoughtfully, "Gee, I wasn't paying attention to the price. How much will this cost me?"

"It's on me." Volkner offered, "As a Gym Leader of this city I eat for free."

"Oh." She frowned quizzically, "Does that mean former Champs are privileged too?"

He smirked, "Let _former_ be your key word."

"You're the nicest guy ever, Volk." Indigo growled, standing from the table. She looked back to him, seeing he had not touched his coffee, "Did you even drink that?"

"Yes, you probably weren't paying attention." He replied cooly.

"It's such an icky, unpleasant color." She observed in distaste, "I thought you took it with cream and sugar– like you did last time."

"I take my coffee black now." He informed her, "It preserves my sense of humor." Volkner tipped the contents of the mug back in one gulp. Finished, he also stood, and followed her out of the shop.

Indigo smiled at him, stepping out onto the bright, cobbled street of Sunyshore City. "You know what, Volk?" She prompted, "That sense of humor you were talking about– I think you were born without one!"

"Don't make me regret awarding you that Beacon badge–!"

"See you around!" She tossed a pokeball, letting loose a formidable, tawny Fearow, and clambered onto its back before Volkner could set his Luxray after her.

Indigo took off, laughing to herself, but was inwardly far from cheerful. What she had told Volkner was the rawest question that had ever grated her mind. Currently, as far as she was concerned, there was simply no answer for it.

**A/N: I think I ought to keep this going. Maybe if the spirit moves me.**


End file.
